BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork

A good BBQ sauce is an essential part of great pulled pork, but it’s something that is increasingly easy to overlook. Many ready-made pulled pork products used to include a BBQ sauce, but some manufacturers have since started leaving it out. While the pulled pork itself may still be perfectly good, it can feel like something is missing without that sweet, tangy, smoky sauce.

Luckily, making your own BBQ sauce is incredibly simple, and it can make a big difference. This quick homemade version is rich, smoky, slightly sweet, and balanced with a pleasant acidity that works especially well with the richness of pulled pork. It’s also easy to adjust to your own taste, whether you prefer it sweeter, smokier, tangier, or a little hotter.

The recipe below makes approximately 1 dl of sauce, which is just the right amount for around 450 g of pulled pork. It’s a useful recipe to keep handy whenever you have pulled pork without a sauce—or whenever you simply want to make it even better.

Makes approximately 1 dl (about ⅓ cup)
Perfect for approximately 450 g pulled pork.

Equipment

• Medium-sized enameled cast iron Dutch oven

Ingredients

• ½ dl ketchup

• ¼ dl apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• ½ tbsp honey

• ¾ tsp Dijon mustard

• ¾ tsp soy sauce

• ¾ tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp paprika

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp onion powder

• A little freshly ground black pepper

• A small pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder

• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients
   Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk until well combined.

2. Simmer the sauce
   Bring the sauce to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Adjust the consistency
   The sauce should thicken slightly as it reduces. If it becomes too thick, add a small amount of water.

4. Taste and adjust
   Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Add a little more apple cider vinegar for extra acidity, brown sugar or honey for sweetness, smoked paprika for more smokiness, or cayenne for additional heat.

5. Combine with the pulled pork
   Once the pork is pulled, add the BBQ sauce to the meat and mix well.